The Miz Says He Wants To 'Beat Up' Daniel Bryan

One of the most consistent rivals of Daniel Bryan's WWE career has been The Miz. Recently, "The A-Lister" spoke to Sports Illustrated about his desire to face Bryan in the ring again.

The Miz was involved in the early part of Bryan's career when he mentored Bryan in NXT. They worked multiple programs with each other on the main roster, including during Bryan's time as general manager of SmackDown Live. The Miz gained notoriety for his acclaimed tirade against Bryan during an episode of Talking Smack in August 2016, in which he called Bryan a coward for breaking his promise to the fans that he'd return to the ring. The Miz said he doesn't know what Bryan's plans are, but if he ever returned to the ring he'd welcome a match with him.

"I would love to beat him up. I would love to beat him up in a WWE ring, all day every day. But I don't know what the plans are for Daniel. I know his passion is in the WWE ring, now whether that's as a general manager or as a professional wrestler, I don't know, I don't know his plans," The Miz said. "I know he's working tremendously hard to get back in the WWE ring, and I [have my] fingers crossed because I would love to have a match with Daniel Bryan. He's one of the best in-ring technicians that WWE has ever seen, and I would like to showcase how much better I am than him."

Bryan has said that he's doing everything in his power to return to performing again. His extensive history with concussions has been well-documented, so the WWE has been hesitant about allowing him to make an in-ring comeback. The Miz said as long as Bryan get's medical clearance, he'd have no qualms about competing against him.

"If doctors sign him up and say, 'Listen, this guy is OK,' I am more willing to kick him in the chest, in the stomach, and hit him with the Skull-Crushing Finale a couple of times," he said.